Sydney, January 12, 2026: Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was controversially retired out by Melbourne Renegades during their Big Bash League (BBL 15) match against Sydney Thunder at the Sydney Showground Stadium on Monday.
The incident occurred when Renegades captain Will Sutherland called Rizwan back to the pavilion while he was on 26 off 23 balls, allowing Sutherland to take his place at the crease. A video of the decision quickly went viral on social media, with fans criticizing it as an embarrassment. Sutherland, however, made little impact, being run out for just one run.
In the match, the Renegades batted first and posted 170-8 in 20 overs. Hassan Khan top-scored with 46 off 31 balls, hitting one four and four sixes, while openers Josh Brown and Tim Seifert contributed 35 and 29 runs, respectively. For Sydney Thunder, David Willey, Ryan Hadley, and Wes Agar claimed two wickets each.
Rizwan has struggled with the bat in BBL 15, scoring 167 runs in eight matches at an average of 20.88, without registering a fifty. Alongside Babar Azam, Rizwan has recently been sidelined from Pakistan’s T20I squad to prioritize young talent ahead of the T20 World Cup, though both continue to represent the country in ODI and Test formats.
